Duchess Kate, Prince William and Prince George have new family photos! Apparently, these photos were taken by Kate’s dad Michael Middleton, who has never, ever been warned about the dangers of backlighting. The photos were released in a haphazard way – I guess some people got the leaks via Twitter, and the UK papers are using the two photos on their front pages too.

People Magazine said this would happen, by the way. People had a story last week in which sources claimed that in lieu of sitting for some formal portraits with little Prince George, Kate and William were considering releasing some low-key, family-style photos. The source told the mag, “The whole point of these photos is that as many people have access to them who need to and we will find the easiest way of doing that.” True, and I’m glad that we have access to these images, but there was a HUGE kerfuffle on Twitter amongst the royal beat reporters and who got first-access to the photos and whether or not these pics were “leaked” by someone other than the family.

Anyway, enough of the process stuff. I really am glad that we get new pics! My favorite one is the one with the dogs. Lupo looks like he’s sort of over it, like he really misses the good old days when he had his mom and dad to himself without George The Screamer. I don’t know about the other dog – it looks like a Golden Retriever, and it looks like Kate is sort of sitting on him. Kate looks amazing, doesn’t she? You knew she would lose the weight in two seconds, though. That was a given. But I love her dress. I always love her in rich autumnal colors and jewel tones.

PS… no sausage curls!! Kate started weaning herself off of the curls during her pregnancy. Now she’s doing “soft waves” a lot.

139 Responses to “Duchess Kate, William & George sit for some informal portraits: lovely & low-key?”

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Exactly. Where is the housekeeper/kitchen slave/dog poo picker upper? Too busy working to pose for the photo? If Will really wants to be “normal” then he can step away from the perks, get a 9 to 5 job, and live out that “We’re just ordinary folks” fantasy.

Serious question . . . why would the housekeeper be in a family photo? I know you don’t like anything about these two but, really, you need to think of something else to b!tch about because b!tching that the housekeeper is not in the photo is just ridiculous and makes you sound stupid.

Mslewis
In many, many photos of Diana with her William and Harry the staff was there. Just to the side, but still very close to the family at all times. For print use the images were cropped so only the family was seen and not the staff.
It’s very possible that is the same here. The nanny could very likely be behind Michael or to the side ready to help if George needs it. In fact, it would be odd if she wasn’t near George.
And their 1 listed staffer is a jack of all trades. She can do it all. Her primary existence in Will and Kate’s lives is as a nanny for George. She is just listed as everything else because it looks good to think Will and Kate only employ 1 staffer to cover many positions rather than employing many for individual jobs.

Of course their numerous staff members are not in the picture. But having several servants (there were 20+ reported at their staff Christmas party) is one of their perks. Perhaps I should have also mentioned the helicopter rides, the “appearances” that last about an hour at most that pass for work for Kate, the vacays on private islands, the bespoke wardrobe, the mansions and luxury apartments and all the other perks of being a “royal” and not an ordinary, “normal” person. My point is that William keeps saying he wants a normal life. He can have it. But the perks go along with being a royal, which is nowhere near what 99.9999% of us experience in our “normal” lives. I just don’t buy the whole “We’re just ordinary folks who want a normal life” tripe. And though personal attacks are not a valid argument, I will defend myself by saying I do work hard and long hours at a much less glamorous job than being a “Prince or Princess of the UK.”

The Great Pretenders and their latest prop in their bid for “normalcy”. The kid isn’t even front and centre; everything is about Waity; Wills has ugly lighting. Even an amateur could do better than these snaps.

Maven
I’m maybe slightly above amateur as a photographer. It’s my opinion that at least with amateurs it’s the camera that makes the picture. Not the photographer. Although, the photographer can screw up the image no matter how good the camera and editing software is.
I think Michael had a very nice dslr, but light and shadows are everything.
Also, didn’t Kate take a few photo shop classes or lessons when she was on her photographer kick?

Could be that he started smiling wide for the camera too early. That usually happens to me when family insist on photo ops. Plus, they tend to position me so the suns shining in my eyes which definitely turns a smile to a grimace.

Good for them. All that formal portrait stuff just makes them look like they need to get a life. This makes them seem like they have one. Kate looks great. She’s so zen. Like she was born to do this. I like that she is not in ya face like Diana.

I am just so tickled that Michael took these pics. How cute! I am glad they are not perfect and if my dad took them they would look a lot worse. I can just inagine him with a beer sayibg “Honey, where are the settings on this damn thing?” And wanting to get vack to the television.

Honestly, I love the way William is holding her in the first picture. She looks amazing. The baby looks so cute and grumpy it’s insane. Also, Lupo’s expression is cracking me up. My dog looks the same whenever I’m holding my cat. Ehe.

Kiddo
Kate approved of that artist after seeing a lot of his work. She approved of which photo he would use of her for the portrait. She approved of how he put every single imperfection in his paintings to show an inner, natural beauty. She approved it all. That is just how Kate looks. We see an edited version. That’s what she and everyone else sees all the time. It’s a shame her fans blamed an extremely talented artist for painting a portrait to the exact specification of Kate herself.

I’m not a “fan”. Although maybe you weren’t inferring that. I’m not actually sure what there is to be a fan of. She’s someone who married into the royal family and I’m in the US. At the same time, I harbor no ill will toward her. The painting was well done, but it appeared to have aged her more than a few years. If she liked it, then good for her.

Maybe my use of ugly was too strong. But it definitely portrayed her as a much older woman.

Kiddo
The fan comment was just an observation. Not claiming yo were one.
The hard truth is Kate edited to look younger with smoother skin in many photos we see of her. The portrait is spot on. She’s also been a smoker for years on top of sun damage, chicken pox scars, and genetics not in her skin’s favor. She looks that old in her natural state.

That’s also why many of her fans and admires freaked out over he portrait. It was a natural, unedited view of Kate and it was in stark contrast to the edited photos.

It’s nice to see informal pictures. The family looks good and everyone looks happy. But, to me, that’s about the extent of it. It’s not like it’s some huge breakthrough that required extraordinary bravery.

And it’s not even that much of a change from the previous generation. There are many, many – probably thousands – of casual photos of Diana and the boys in the public domain.

I agree with you, trying to be more approachable but with mean spirited people like those on here, you cannot win! Diana lived a far more carefully sculpted life, yet she is adored, the one good thing she tried to impart to her boys was that they were to realize they were not special by birth and that they try to be humble! At no time has William shown any sign of lording it over others, they lead a very down low life and obviously like it that way
Good for them in releasing ‘snaps’ rather than a stiff posed pic, which they will no doubt have to do as George gets older, as to the vitriole about Kate, her figure, her manner, her life?….. She and William have no choice but to conform to royal standards of behaviour and dress! To infer that William is already looking on the side is pretty disgusting! If that’s what some people think then they have low standards and expectations themselves! Plus huge issues!

Liza Jane
They are living how they choose. They are not doing things as royalty in the past has. They’ve broken tradition on numerous occasions. They seem to only break tradition to when it comes to their duties and spending time with other royal members and taking extreme amounts of vacation.

William has shown a history of side pieces and Kate did speak against his behavior once and only once. William then broke up with her and only returned to her after she lost a lot of weight, flirted with his close friends, and William received pressure to find a wife.
And I think there might be something still on the books about the POW being able to legally keep a side piece. I would like someone with knowledge to add to this.

Ultimately the lines in the sand are drawn. Either you like Will and Kate, believe their family is solid or you know better. Yes, my statement is bias, but people once believing the hype have been turned. In time it’ll be just like Charles and Diana. How perfect and in love they were to the infidelity and pr lies. Honestly, only time will tell so no side can really say for sure they’re a happy family and not pretending. Or that they really are so happy together and photos and stories are made up for selling papers

I think *both* Charles and Diana set tight boundaries to good effect when the boys were small. Most photo ops for the press were controlled and there were no family interviews where the boys participated.

They made horrible personal choices and their relationship skittered out of control, but during the early years the Wales actually made good parenting decisions together. And after Diana died, Charles was a constant presence in their lives.

People either never knew that or have forgotten it so Wills and Kate’s behavior is being touted as something entirely new and novel for royals and something that is directly, and only, related to the MIddleton influence. I’m sure that gives Charles pause at times, and it’s not really fair.

Maybe Wills has learned from the past and will continue the strong parenting tradition.

And the one thing that Wills has picked up, probably more from his mother and grandmother than his father, is how to give an interview. When he wants to charm the press, and by extension, the public, he is good at it. He should thank them for those skills.

I love these. They both look thrilled (and understandably tired), the baby is adorably angry, and I like that they included the dogs. So much nicer than the stiff looking professional photos everyone expected to see.

cute pictures. I know that William (with good reason) has a beef with the press and protects his privacy BUT if you look at other royal families in Europe, they have always released a formal photo and then something like this (Crown Princess Victoria, the king of the Netherlands etc) A lot of these families will have photo shoots to like a summer and winter photocall and also release some sort of informal photo throughout the year. This is what hte public wants. Without public love or approval, these monarchies are as good as gone. I think that Willy and Kate will have to show more because after all it is the public that pays for the royal life.

I’ve always liked her with a little more weight on her. She has a sporty figure which looks great on her being so tall instead of looking so fragile when she got so thin, and her face is softer looking.

I love this couple. For Royals, they have really tried to be their own people and put their relationship first as far as breaking in traditions and being a strong unit. I saw his interview last night. He was so open and relaxed. Wow, what a down-to-earth, level-headed, kind man. Diana would be so proud of him right now in this time of his life and how he has handled himself and how he has protected his wife. I love how they used to live back before he married her and they lived off alone and would go to market together and movies. He has made every effort to live a more grounded life than his station in life would otherwise give room for. He will be an amazing father. And she never comes across pretentious and seems to really love him. They are a good fit.

There are well documented accounts both him and Kate that show they are the opposite of everything you’ve just written.

It’s not for nothing that he is widely known by the press (who can only write positive articles though stuff still gets out) as being petulant and spoilt.

Not to mention the documented way he treated Kate which no woman with self respect should put up with.

Ditto the documented lies they tell to appear ‘normal’ and ‘one of us’.

I give you this, little George has wrought a visible change in him, and for the first time in decades he looks genuinely relaxed and happy. Will this translate into a change for the better? Only time will tell.

Big deal. A young couple dating since college break up because one wants to be free and eventually come back together realizing what they had. That happens to plenty of young dating couples and many go on to marry. I have quite a few friends that happened to and a year later or so later hit back together.

Don’t even try Jayna.
LAK is the expert on the Royals and what she says it the absolute truth. If you have a different opinion than her you will be shot down.
I think these are great photos (technique sucks but who cares) of a great couple. I feel the royals are in good hands.

True. LAK has certainly opened my eyes in the very short time i’ve been reading this site. Everything they say is backed up with numerous sources and can be found easily. To believe otherwise shows a person as either easily fooled or unwilling to research and educate themselves fully. Or rather they only wish to know enough to support their way of thinking and not enough to know the truth. Ignorance and bliss and all that.

I wonder if when stories slip out slowly with William, as they did with Charles, that people will start singing a different tune? Hmm.. I’d like to think William isn’t like his father, but with all the 1st hand accounts of how entitled William has been his entire life it’s not a stretch to think he wouldn’t easily cheat on a woman he’s already declared himself to be bored with.

Jana
You have absolutely every right to express your opinion without fear of being “shot down” this is not the school play yard and you will not be slapped around on this site by anyone just for giving your opinions.
Lack is an amazing wealth of royal knowledge and the comments section would be so dull without her. But at the end of the day half of what she says is also just her opinion. She does not have tea with the queen and does not know anything more than what is published or reported. She just has a better memory than most.
I dont like cyber mean-girling.

Yep, I agree. They look happy here and I really like that her father took the photos. Love that the dogs are in there too.

To the obsessives who freak out when someone has a different opinion than them regarding the Royals, I am not a Kate fan but it’s refreshing to see her looking truly happy here. She’s beautiful in these pictures.

Tara
I hope i did not come across as a mean girl here. It was not my intent.
Everyone is allowed to their opinions. And this site has a few members that travel in packs patting each other on the back for insulting the opinions of others. I hate that about here and it can be a very volatile environment.

LAK has more than just a great memory. They live there and has had an inside view to areas we can only read about. Their work history has been stated here before. Though LAK is not in the Queen’s head LAK does read and is able to dissect articles. Also pick out repeated mentions buried in articles.
I’m saying LAK is wiser than us in this aspect because of more than just a great memory and a hobby of history.
That’s why LAK’s opinion is so valued here. They remember every little detail that the press has whitewashed away. It’s quite enlightening.

Kitten
I am the first to give lack, flork and other knowledgable royal watchers their full credit. Their value to the lore of RF gossip and news is invaluable and full of insight that is rare. But the important thing to remember here is that people want to hear all sides of an issue and then make up their own minds. Once they do they then want to express those opinions with others. That is why celebrity blogs are fun. But when you are told that if you do not believe everything a royal “expert” says then you do not really want the truth, you are naife and you will be “shut down” by the pack. Give me a break.
And yes, even the smartest royal watchers weave in some of their own personal opinions with the facts. No thank you. I think I am not the only one here who emjoys reading all the viewpoints but ultimately coming up with my own.
Kitten, i often find your comments to be witty, amusing and fresh. Like most, you are quite strong in your beliefs but I do not see you as a mean girl at all.. I enjoy your posts and look forward to more in the future.

Tara
That was a very well said post on both sides of thought and strong feelings that at times follow them.
These blogs are fun escapes and debates, but when one side attacks the other’s with emotion and gets personal it becomes no fun at all.
I guess we’re all at times guilty of it. Frustration when someone disagrees with something you think is just common sense.
All that aside though, this place is nice to hear both sides of a story and toss thoughts back and forth.
I appreciate you comment and thank you for it.

Flork
I am glad we all shared our thoughts on this. A few differences of opinion add spice to the soup! If i ever start my dream Plantagenet blog I will beg you to moderate, lol. I wish all the best for you. I wish I had servants. I wish Kate would throw away her large barrel curlers. *sigh*

You can bet pimp mamma is going to try and do something dramatic just b/c I dont think anyone gives a crap about their baby, I know I dont.

Ive noticed a lot of the tab sites that pimp momma pays to do articles on them have gone into overdrive putting out one made up story after another b/c I think the public is finally losing interest..in mass numbers. I think all of their recent drama from Lamar’s affair to Kourtney’s paternity are all made up just to get more interest in them b/c people just dont give a crap about them any more. Lets hope this is the beginning of the countdown of their 15 minutes.

I don’t know why people bash them for trying to live a ‘normal’ (because nothing is ‘normal’) life even though they’re part of the crown. It’s pretty much impossible for them to but it’s not like they’re running around in ermine and a gold plated Rolls going, “I’m just like you basic bitches! I mean peasants! I mean people. Yup. Just like you!”

….but actually they do. not ermine exactly, but close enough. It’s like when they were caught out hopping a helicopter ride the other day meanwhile they ‘are just like one of us’ or claiming not to have staff and are then caught throwing a Christmas staff party for 27. Those are just 2 examples of them pretending one thing when the reality is different.

LAK
A lot of that Christmas party seemed very nice of them. To give your staff a party and to relax with a good movie. What destroys this image is when William changes the movie from Skyfall to Twilight because he had seen Bond, but wanted to see a Tweenie movie instead . Then he leaves before the movie so the staff was not pleased after waiting to see this movie instead of theatres.

but what do you mean by “caught”? They took a helicopter… did they specially say they were travelling by another mode? No staff but they threw a Christmas party… what!? So they used temp staff, Charles’ staff??? I don’t see the massive cover up of fairly normal activities especially in their income bracket/social circles/heir to the British throne kind of life.

Feebee
Though I do not wish to speak for LAK I would like to address the Helicopter and party business.
Not long ago, William and Kate took a heli ride. Since it was not to a function there would really be no way to justify the use. A friend later claimed he was in the area and offered to give them a ride as a gift. The palace later confirmed this ride as a gift. Gift is the big word here because Royals are not allowed to accept gifts. It shows them as bias. That’s also why they get so much money. So they don’t have to accept items like this.
they had to backtrack on this fiasco because 1 random person with a cellphone camera took a shot of William and Kate looking not pleased, rushing into a heli with lupo and then taking separate cars to separate locations. It’s all in the DMO archives.

Their staff is always big news because they always claim Kate does everything and that’s why she’s normal and has no time for charities. To find out they have a lot of staff they personally use all the time when pushing that public image is a flat out manipulation of the press. Either Kate is a housewife and can’t find time for her public duties or she has staff and choose to not do her duty as a public servant.

So, yes. Kate and William are in that bracket with that lifestyle. So why must they always claim they’re just like us and craving the simple life? Charles is often used as a buffer. He pays for Kate’s wardrobe and expenses. He pays for their staff. He gets reimbursed for this. Will am and Kate would not. It’s quite clever and tricky how they do it and if you don’t believe it then you must be working very hard to not peak behind the curtain and see what’s really going on.

Freebee – it’s creative truthtelling. Kind of like those tax dodgers who put their wealth in tax havens whilst living and working in the countries to which they pay no tax.

There are many examples where their PR is completely at odds with the reality AND it seems exceptions being made for William which are no nos for the other royals eg those helicopter rides that the palace claims are gifts. (the pilot said it was something he did regularly)

I don’t think anyone had given serious thought to their arrangements until they started pushing the ‘modest’, ‘down to earth’ image. That’s why every time something is revealed that is at odds with said image, it makes news.

BTW: the staffing arrangements are always specific to each royal no matter who is paying the bills. They each hold some sort of gathering at Christmas to thank their individual household staff, so many people who had genuinely believed that WK had no staff, bar office staff, were genuinely surprised to find out about the 27 staff members.

I pretty much agree with this, other than I don’t think they necessarily ‘needed’ a professional photographer… though one would have probably managed to capture some lovely ‘casual’ photos, if that’s what they wanted. Professional doesn’t always have to be formal and posed. Either way, it is possible to manage quality photos. I’ve seen some gorgeous newborn pics (with mom and dad looking on) that are taken with phone cameras.

I think they were going for casual and charming, and almost managed it… but ended up with posed, poor quality photos that are somewhat charming. They dressed up some, and posed enough to make the photos appear as if they were professionally done… by a lousy photographer. I’m not trying to be mean… the photos are fine, just not great. What I really don’t like about them is that they don’t show the baby much more than the hospital photos did. Same bundled baby in blanket, being held by mom in same position… which is fine, unless you are trying to take photos that actually show the baby…

On a positive note, I think Kate looks really beautiful.

Oh, and before anyone mentions how hard it is to get good photos of such a young baby… or that maybe the new parents are tired and didn’t feel like going through a bunch of photo shoots, etc., etc., etc. That’s a load of bs. They probably put more effort into getting ready for these poor quality (but charming!) photos than they would have for some decent shots of a sleeping George with his parents looking on… easily attained with a professional (who most certainly would go to them, for convenience) or anyone who likes taking pictures and knows some basics.

This is the dumbest thing I have read on here nb awhile. The hired help should be in a family portrait? Since when? When I had my 2nd baby a friend offered to come clean my house-should she have been in our family pics? Normal peiple have hired help, too. A good friend of mine & his wife just hired an au pair (it’s actually cheaper than daycare)-I’ll make sure to let him know the au pair should be in their family portraits. Oh, and the neighbor kid he pays to mow their lawn. And the pizza delivery guy.

As a professional, I’m sure you would probably agree that professional photos don’t have to be formal and posed! Seems many people equate ‘professional photos’ with formal, posed, stiff photos… and that is simply not the case. Just as ‘casual’ doesn’t mean poor quality, crappy photos. I’m not a professional, but I do enjoy taking photos and manage some very nice photos on my own… not the same as very well done professional shots though! I don’t usually love the very formal, posed photos (though they do have their place and are appropriate for some occasions), but I ADORE well executed casual (and often candid) professional photos!

After all the Kanye, Kim trash, covering baby’s head with blanket, etc…. This is what a real family looks like. No pimping out, no waiting for the right amount of $$ to sell pic’s. Warm’s my heart. They look happy. Such a nice break from the usual.

But royals can’t release photos for profit like celebs can, so why even compare the two? It tickles me to no end that people think they’re doing Kate some big favor by saying she’s better than Kim Kardashian. Of course she is, because Kim is the bottom of the barrel. It means virtually nothing to be “better” than her.

Exactly Resa. Instead of KK why not compare Kate to other wives of future kings? Oh right, because if one does a little digging they would see how mediocre she comes off in comparison. Especially to someone like Letizia who does a shit load more royal duties than she does.

How exactly has Kate continued to be seen? She was photographed coming out of the hospital with the baby, which is a royal tradition, and then seen again in this released photograph. And she does look like she lost weight, but I doubt anyone will call her shallow for it.

Deedee
I love this “Let’s compare Kate to Kim” tactic. Like Kate can only be compared to Kim to make her look better. If she really was as perfect as her fans believe they wouldn’t have to compare her to Kim.
Kim has not been seen since she gave birth. So she must be so vain about her image it’s purely selfish she stays indoors.
Kate has not been seen in public at all since the traditional stepping out with the newborn. And she is praised endlessly for wanting to spend time with her child. So selfless. See the double edge here people?

Right on, FLORC. Kate is vain and will not do her “postpartum reveal” until she has lost every last pound and returned to her emaciated pre-pregnancy state. Wouldn’t it be nice if she decided to just let nature take its course and return to her natural “set point” — i.e. the healthy athletic physique she had before? Dream on folks.

Kate
I’m thinking about this too. Either way Kate would be praised. And that is not a bad thing! We should never hate on a pregnant woman or woman with a postpartum body. This happens to Jessica and Kim easily. Why? Hate for many reasons. Since fans claim that people hate on Kate so much because of jealousy I guess the same cane be used for Kim and Jessica. They’re just jealous so they say mean things.

No matter how Kate looks they will applaud her and compare her as the golden standard that all should live up to. If they’re not meeting that standard they’re failures.

I like the ordinary, every day feel of these but my first thought was um, he’s a future King of England, can we get some proper photos please.

They have a different PR tightrope to walk than previous generations. They seem to be doing fine. They look like a normal family, taking normal photos but normal families don’t release those photos to the world.

Do we know that George is colicky? He may just be one of those average babies that isn’t a great sleeper right away and is fussy. Unless new parents end up with one of those rare babies that hardly ever fusses and sleeps so well that he/she needs to be awakened in order to feed… then they are in for a bit of a shock at how exhausting newborns are, and how much crying they do.

My first baby was colicky, and it was miserable… somehow I still managed an insane amount of photos, most taken by me of course, but several professional visits as well in the first year.

Second baby had reflux, and while not terribly fussy with it, there always seemed to be impossibly large amounts of puke flying… super-soaker style…lol I avoided taking her out as much as possible early on, and was especially afraid of showing up at a photo studio and having my sweet baby let loose with one of those super soakers… so ZERO professional pics of her in the first year. I still took many, many photos… and probably sharpened my own amateur photography skills during this time. I would have loved to have had someone come to my house for some professional photos though.

I guess from William’s comments I just assumed George is colicky. Maybe he’s just got a healthy set of lungs that he exercises regularly. I had similar baby issues as yours and I always envied the serene well-dressed moms with their quiet little bundles of joy! Ah well, the most important thing is that the baby is happy, healthy and loved.

I too, wondered about colic after William’s comments, so I was kind of curious if it had been mentioned. For most first time parents though, even ‘normal’ crying and fussing seems overwhelming and exhausting. I think it is probably a fair guess that Prince George is not one of those ‘oh he is such a good sleeper, and only fusses a bit when he is hungry or needs a diaper change’ kind of babies.

Oh gosh…memories. :p We started with the projectile vomiting, never seen puke fly that far before! XD A little rice in the formula to weight it down a bit, presto. [had to use formula as my milk never really came in )o: ]
Soon as that was over, we became a colic family! And this child didn’t sleep through the night until she was five (5) YEARS old.
She’s 18 now and I’m just starting to catch up on sleep?! But, I dooo love my girl!!! (o:

I babysat one of my cousins from newborn (met her 4 days after the event). She changed my experience of babies. Until her, I had only babysat difficult baby cousins/nieces/nephews per your various descriptions, and thought all babies were difficult.

She was so serene and smiley and content that nothing disturbed her. We had to set timers to check nappies, feeding time etc because she never cried so we couldn’t use that as an indicator for her needs. She just gurgled and laughed and played with any toys you left in the crib. She also slept when she was supposed to and for long periods. Mind you, given her temperament, it’s probably the fact that she wasn’t fussy, we just assumed that she was asleep! *shameface*

She made me look at babies and children as the little individuals that they are. I couldn’t have said I was interested in children (or babies) before her.

EDIT: the difficult babies were only so during their babyhood. They’ve all exhibited the usual growing up pains except for that one cousin.

Sweet baby. Beautiful family. Gorgeous dog – I’d rather see this than Kim K’s giant ass squeezed into a pleather sausage casing or Miley Cyrus’s tongue anyday. Even if many find them irrelevant or a tax drain.

These are great pictures. Kate in particular looks beautiful though they were pretty obviously taken to flatter her, but I have the same two thoughts I always have with them- one, for all the bitching William does about the press interest in them, it seems like every chance to break with British royal tradition they have they do, and always in a way that puts their personal life more on display. These pictures are awesome to have as a royal viewer but if he really wants to stay so private, why not stick with tradition and release a single formal portrait? IMO because he wants it both ways it’s just about image and control.

Second thing they make me think of is it is interesting how every break in tradition has to do with making the Middletons look better and more accessible not the Windsors. It seems like every choice they make centers around the Middletons rather than the royal family. Other than of course getting the respect they ‘deserve’ for being royal and the careful cultivation of their royal image. I wonder sometimes how close William really is to the royal family. I know everyone says that it’s all about how much he loves them but I wonder if it’s not more about how much he resents his family.

Love your last paragraph, Lila. That’s it in a nutshell. How can they be “normal” when their images are so cultivated? Kate’s been quoted as saying that making friends is difficult because of “royal protocol”. I find that one a bit tough to stomach, actually.

“Normal” would have been listing their occupations as “pilot” and “SAHM” instead of Prince and Princess.

Apologies in advance for randomly veering off topic but while procrastinating I was wandering around the internet and came upon a photo of Fergie actually visiting the queen in Scotland! Apparently she was invited to the castle to settle wedding plans? Is the older York girl getting married? I couldn’t find an announcement or anything. Now that will be an interesting wedding if that is what is happening!

While the serfs fawn over the latest royal photographs with words like “down to earth”, “humble”, and “they’re just like us”, I hope people remember that these photos are in no way indicative of the realities of their lives. The monarchy is all about survival. William and Kate are aware they are living in an age that sees monarchy as unnecessary, and now they have a new lineage to carry on and want to try to ensure George has what they did. To do this, they HAVE to modernize and get the public’s sympathy so they can continue to be funded. This is a survival tactic and heavily calculated. They are showing you what you want to see, not what their day-to-day lives are like, same as the day George was born with Kate’s polka dot “Diana inspired” dress or William putting in a car seat which he admitted was rehearsed, or him driving “himself”. Just look at George’s birth certificate and see William calling himself HRH or his job title “Prince of the UK” instead of pilot. Those are the moments when you really see how ‘humble’ these two are.

What’s the point of having a Monarchy if it’s ordinary? I have no desire to the Monarchy looking or acting Normal. This middleclass introduction of the new royalty will be William’s downfall. Why have a ordinary, King and Queen, what’s the point to that?
If he wants to be normal and ordinary, just give up all titles and go really live with the Middleton’s. That’s why I never cared much for Kate, it was so obvious imo, all of this was not about love, but more about William wanting to rebell against his own background. Let him give it up if he dislikes it so much.
For some reason Kate is really avoiding bonding with the Royal Family , and this one day will come back to haunt her, she will need them one day more than they need her, if she ever gets caught in another scandal, nude or anything else. She’s making a big mistake not bonding with William’s family , no matter what he imagines, William is NOT an island, he needs his family and all of their comforts to keep up his charade of middleclass Prince. If he really wanted to be Middleclass he’d drop his title and go live with Carole. This whole thing is such a joke, a disgrace and a slap in the face to the Queen and Royal Family. The press can go one with their syncophancy all they want, but the Palace has a memory like an elephant, they don’t forget things. This entire episode from engagement to baby photos has been one slap after another at his own heritage. How can a Prince who dislikes himself and what he represents be a good or great Monarch. I don’t think Pr.William really wants it, I think he wants it all to fall apart.

kate only wanted to show herself off, she looks completely madeup , not like a new mother at all ,we cant even see prince George , same old white swaddle,she should have dressed him up put a cute little baby hoodie at least and he should have been in the centre face forward without the swaddle so we could at least see his hands and feet, I think kate should have photographed herself alone ,William is wearing same old shirt and looks exhausted ,kate cant share screen space with anyone ,couldn’t even wait for the royals, she has been photographed enough I think, at least should have released a close-up shot of the baby with a smile or eyes open. and kate’s hair matches lupo’s ears look exactly the same.